Looking through Nate Brakeley’s profile on the USA rugby website is a fairly sobering thing to do.

The only reason for this is, still only 27, he has achieved a staggering amount. In isolation, any one of the things he has done, both academically and on the field of play is something to boast about.

He’s an All-American rugby player for one of America’s most prestigious Universities, Dartmouth, where he won the Collegiate Men’s Seven’s Championship. He then went on to Cambridge University to study an MPhil in Energy Technology, earning his Blue in the 26-19 defeat to Oxford in the 2012 Varsity Match.

He received his first cap for the USA last year and plays for New York Athletic, who sit top of the American Rugby Premiership, as well as holding down a full-time job in software in the city.

But boasting is the last thing he does. Softly spoken, he gives considered answers, talking of team-mates past, what the university, the club, even the country he spent a year in gave him, both personally and in the sport.

The Varsity Match he played in was the Light Blues’ third defeat in a row.

Disappointing though it was as Cambridge led fairly comfortably before Oxford’s impressive comeback, worse defeats would follow before Daniel Dass and Will Briggs lifted the Varsity Trophy in December at the seventh time of asking.

Briggs featured back in 2012 as well as back row Seb Tullie, who was part of this season’s winning squad, while they were coached by James Shanahan.

And four years on, after reaching the pinnacle that an individual can do in the sport, you can still sense how much Brakeley’s time here shaped him.

He still keeps up to date with going-ons in Cambridge and, from his desk at work in December, he was delighted to see his former team -mates and coach finally get one over on the Dark Blues.

“I had an unbelievable time at Cambridge, both at the University, in England and with the rugby club specifically,” the second-row said.

“I can still remember every moment of the match. I was given my first cap last year and it was my most special moment, but it’s one I share with the Varsity.

“In terms of the crowd, that’s the biggest match I’ve still played in front of. We played in front of good crowds at Grange Road and in the Steele-Bodgers, but it was nothing compared to Twickenham.

“I was so excited this year seeing us finally get one back. I was streaming it at work on a Thursday morning and I had to make sure I wasn’t shouting too loud.

“I was so pleased for Will and Seb and it’s the same for Shanners. The time these guys put in and the chunks of their life they devote to their team is amazing and it’s great to see they finally got what they deserve.”

A late-comer to the international circuit at 26, Brakeley now has eight caps for the Eagles, appearing at a mixture of back-row and second-row.

He has been instrumental in the USA’s unbeaten start in the America’s Rugby Championship, featuring in the wins against Canada, Brazil and Uruguay, with Chile and Argentina on the horizon.

Brakeley said his time at Cambridge and the differences from the American college system helped him as a rugby player.

“I really grew as a rugby player in Cambridge. It was a different type of system to what we’re used to,” said Brakeley.

“Rugby isn’t as big over here so most of the colleges are pretty even across the board in how they play, but in Cambridge it was a much more expansive, much more nuanced with guys coming from all sorts of rugby backgrounds.

“It’s been great fun playing for the USA. I had bit of a late start on the international scene, but the coach (John Mitchell) has gave me a huge opportunity and we’re right at the beginning on a World Cup cycle so it’s a big chance for me to put my name forward for that.

“We’ve been in pretty good form so far this tournament.

“A win on the road in Canada really validated what we were doing.

“We also got a pretty good result against Chile last year, but Argentina will be a tough game and whoever wins that will take the championship.”

Brakeley said he hopes with an increased television audience and the influence of European teams playing in America that the country’s potential for the sport can be harnessed over the next few years.

He said, “I think rugby will continue to grow, especially with the concern around American football at the minute. It’s probably a bit counter-intuative to say, but rugby is seen as a safer alternative for youth sports.

“Rugby is becoming more mainstream and there’s now more television coverage. With the size of the country there’s a huge opportunity if everyone can get involved.

“If we (the national team) can all be part of the promotion and growth of the game it’d be fantastic.”